Karaoke
30th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film February 23–March 1, 2023
The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg, marks its 30th Anniversary with another exciting line-up of five films. This year’s films include topics as wide-ranging as modern Israeli friendships, the joy in getting older, hiding during the Holocaust, and the Jewish history of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
Registration for all five films and the festival season pass is available now at JewishVA.org/FilmFest. For more information, contact Hunter Thomas, director of Arts + Ideas, at HThomas@UJFT.org.
Preceded by the short film West Bank Story
Directed by Moshe Rosenthal | 2022 | Israel Hebrew with English Subtitles | 100 Minutes
Thursday, Feb. 23 • 7:30 pm
Cinema Café Kemps River, 1220 Fordham Drive, Virginia Beach
Meirand Tova are a retired couple living in an upscale Tel Aviv apartment complex. With their children grown and off on their own, the parents are left with each other— which, after 46 years, has gotten stale.
The couple meets Itzik, their confident, flashy bachelor neighbor in the penthouse upstairs. When Meir and Tova visit Itzik for karaoke night, things begin to change. His influence is invigorating: Almost immediately, the couple finds themselves more attentive to their looks, more adventurous, and eager for their neighbor’s flattering attentions. But like wallflowers unexpectedly befriended by the cool kids, they also rapidly become over-dependent on their new pal.
TICKET INFORMATION
The BIG Saturday Night Film & Celebration: $25
Individual tickets for other films: $12
Kids Night Out Babysitting is available at the Simon Family JCC for the BIG Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film. Registration is required in advance. Space is limited. Register at JewishVA.org/KNO-FF.
THE BIG SATURDAY NIGHT CELEBRATION OF JEWISH FILM iMordecai
Includes a conversation with a star of the film, followed by a champagne and dessert reception with klezmer music by Bagels & Fraylox
Directed by Marvin Samel | 2022 | United States | English | 102 Minutes
Saturday, Feb. 25 • 7:30 pm
Zeiders American Dream Theater, 4509 Commerce Street, Virginia Beach
Aheart-warming movie based on a true story, iMordecai stars Academy Awardnominated and two-time Emmy-winning actor Judd Hirsch (star of the Emmy-winning sitcom Taxi, and films Ordinary People and Independence Day ) as Mordecai Samels and Academy Award-nominated actress Carol Kane (Hester Street) as his wife, Fela. Both are Polish Holocaust survivors living in Miami. Their son, Marvin (Academy Award-nominated actor Sean Astin, The Lord of the Rings), is an ambitious cigar maker trying to support his own family while still being there for his aging parents.
When Mordecai’s ancient flip phone breaks, he starts to take lessons from Nina (newcomer Azia Dinea Hale), a young employee of Ultratech. She tutors Mordecai on his new iPhone, opening him up to all kinds of novel experiences and adventures, which make him feel like a kid again. An uplifting comedy and a love letter to the city of Miami, iMordecai urges all to live our one life to the fullest.
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VIRGINIA FESTIVAL OF JEWISH FILM
Sponsored by KRS Law
The Levys of Monticello
Includes a conversation with members of the film’s creative team and Vice-Admiral Herman A. Shelanski, US Navy (ret.)
Directed by Steven Pressman | 2022 | United States | English | 71 Minutes
Sunday, Feb. 26 • 2:30 pm
The Samuel C. Johnson Theater at Norfolk Academy 1585 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk
WhenPresident Thomas Jefferson died in 1826, he left behind a mountain of personal debt, forcing his heirs to auction off most of his possessions and sell off his iconic home, Monticello. In 1834, Monticello was pur-
chased by Captain Uriah P. Levy, the first Jewish commodore to serve in the US Navy. A deep admirer of Jefferson’s scholarship and dedication to religious liberty, Levy and his family would go on to own Monticello for nearly a century—far longer than Jefferson and his descendants.
This remarkable documentary uncovers the incredible legacy of the Levy Family while confronting the racism and antisemitism that remain part of the narrative surrounding the national landmark. (In partnership with Congregation Beth El.)
Next Stop, Greenwich Village
An evening dedicated to a longtime friend of the festival, Mal Vincent. Introduction by Rabbi Michael Panitz.
Directed by Paul Mazursky | 1976 | United States | English | 111 Minutes
Monday, Feb. 27 • 7:15 pm
Naro Expanded Cinema, 1507 Colley Ave, Norfolk
Freshout of college, Larry Lapinsky (Lenny Baker) leaves Brooklyn and moves to Greenwich Village. Larry comes from a traditional Jewish home and though his mother, Faye (Shelley Winters), wants him to get a steady job, he tries to make it as
an actor. He quickly takes his place among some young creative types, including girlfriend Sarah (Ellen Greene) and writer Robert (Christopher Walken). Larry is soon on the verge of a career breakthrough, but his mother finds it hard to let go.
Farewell, Mr. Haffmann—Adieu, Monsieur Haffmann
Preceded by the short film Colette
Directed by Fred Cavayé | 2022 | France, Belgium
French with English Subtitles | 115 Minutes
Wednesday, March 1 • 7:30 pm
Beach Cinema Alehouse, 941 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach
InNazi-Occupied Paris in 1941, all members of the Jewish community are instructed to come forward and identify themselves to authorities. Dedicated jeweler Joseph Haffmann, fearing the worst, arranges for his family to flee the city and offers his employee François Mercier the chance to take over his store until the conflict subsides. But his own attempts to escape are thwarted, and Haffmann is forced to seek his assistant’s protection. It’s a risky proposition for both men, and one that Mercier’s wife Blanche is skeptical of. Tensions rise as the three live in fear of being discovered by the Nazi occupiers. This gripping, morally complex thriller about greed, survival, and courage is replete with Faustian bargains and surprisingly dramatic plot turns.
Beyond the Festival:
A celebration of Israel @75 Celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, with Life in Stills
Includes a conversation with PhotoHouse owner and costar, Ben Peter
Directed by Tamar Tal-Ana | 58 minutes | Israel | Hebrew with English Subtitles
Wednesday, April 26 • 7:30 pm
Cinema Café Kemps River, 1220 Fordham Drive, Virginia Beach Free, Limited seating, registration strongly suggested.
Atthe age of 96, Miriam Weissenstein never imagined that she would be facing a new chapter in her life. When The Photo House—her late husband’s life’s work— was destined for demolition, she knew she needed help. A special relationship is forged between Miriam and her grandson, Ben, as they join forces to save the shop and its nearly 1,000,000 negatives that document Israel’s defining moments. Despite the generation gap, Ben and Miriam embark on a heart-wrenching, humorous, and touching journey together.
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Presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, & Community Partners’ 12th Annual Israel Today Series.
